By Nathan Duke
Staff Writer

In about 90 days Longmeadow Congregational Church will complete the process of providing more space for Sunday school classes and offices for church staff, a project that has been 135 years in the making.

BLESS THIS CHURCH - Interim Pastor Tom Barker says a prayer for the success of the expansion project as Longmeadow Church's building committee co-chairmen Michael Livingston and Bobbi Double wait with shovels on Sunday, June 5. (Nathan Duke Photo)

For the past eight years, the church's building committee has worked on plans for additions to provide more space for Sunday School classes, the Tiny Tots preschool program and offices for the church's minister and secretary. The proposal for additions to the church was first made in 1870 by the minister at that time.

The church's building committee members have spent the past eight years putting together site plans, speaking with architects and having environmental studies done on the land for the additions, which is located behind the church next to the parking lot. For the past year, the church has used its Capital Campaign to raise money for the project, to which a number of local businesses and congregation members donated.

Following the service on Sunday, June 5, the building committee broke ground on the site, receiving applause from congregation members. Building committee co-chairman and Sunday school teacher Bobbi Double said Longmeadow's expansion is representative of Auburn's growth as a town.

"It's been a long time coming," she said. "With the town growing this fast with the safety complex, town hall renovations and the library expanding, now the church needs to expand."

Double has witnessed first-hand the need for additions to the church. The fellowship room, located in the basement of the building, has hosted the church's Sunday School classes and Tiny Tots classes for a number of years, as well as been used as a conference room.

Double said the weekly routine has been to switch the room around several times a week, in order to accommodate all of its users. On the weekends, the room is redecorated for Sunday School classes. During the week, it is set up for Tiny Tots classes. Whenever a conference or church function is required for the room, preschool and Sunday School class materials must all be removed from the room.

Sunday School classes for grades 1 to 3 and 4 to 6 have all been held simultaneously in the fellowship room, with only a curtain to separate them. "It gets loud and it is difficult to keep kids. attention when they can hear other kids (on the other side of the curtain) and see them moving around," said Double.

Michael Livingston, co-chairman of the building committee, said the additional space should be ready for use by the end of the summer.

The past six years have seen extensive work by the committee to put forth plans for the construction of the additional space. In 1999, an architectural study was done on the building. In 2001, the first draft for the expansion was made, but did not meet needs. In 2002, plans were discussed to raise the entire church, as well as begin improvements to the existing structure. In 2003, a feasibility study was undertaken and the budget for the expansion was given a $300,000 to $350,000 price tag. Last year, the committee worked to meet state and local requirements and finalized the plans.

One reason for the delay of the construction in recent years was that congregation members wanted to fix the existing facilities before beginning on the additions, said Double.

During the past year, the Capital Campaign picked up, as donations from congregation members began to increase and a number of local businesses donated services, including Espana, SRW Trucking, Ray's Excavation, N Grade Construction, Maple Tree Construction, Jim Trombly Plumbing and Heating Inc., Dan Carpenter Inc., Nations Rest and Viking Oil Co. Inc.

Building committee member Norm Bouley said the approximate value of the services provided by the assisting companies is $60,000. In front of the church sits a sign thanking the businesses and leaving an empty space for any businesses that are still interested in providing services.

Pastor Tom Barker said a prayer for the groundbreaking ceremony, which was followed by short speeches by a few building committee members. Livingston and Double broke ground with shovels, with assistance from congregation members Ruth Martin and Kay Topliff and committee members Bouley and former chairman Paul Whittemore.

Whittemore said the committee has worked especially hard during the last year to make the additions possible, but said they are not the only ones responsible.

"The whole church needs to be congratulated," he said. "Their support, as well as the community's support, has been instrumental in getting this accomplished."

The church will continue its fundraising activities in weeks and months to come. Their next general fundraising event - a strawberry supper - will take place Saturday, June 25 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, and $4 for children ages 6 to 12. Children under 6 eat for free.